NFL Combine 101
For football fans, there are a few events that occur during the off-season that are exciting to keep track of. Training camp, preseason games, and the one that starts today: The NFL Combine leading up to the NFL Draft.
The best way to describe this process to the curious reader who is still learning about the sport is that the NFL Combine is the male equivalent to a beauty pageant. Men who are selected by a committee come together and get evaluated on their bodies and their fitness and yes, there is even an interview portion. All of this leading to the announcement of the winner: the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. For many though, just being drafted can be considered a win (I say overcome with emotion as I wipe a tear delicately from my eye.)
The broad jump. The vertical jump. The bench press. The 3-cone drill. The shuttle run. And the most exciting event, the 40-yard dash. These are the events that will determine a players draft stock and inevitably, their future as a football player.
Though I compare the Combine to a beauty pageant, I must warn you that there isn't really anything beautiful about watching offensive linemen run a 40-yard dash. But what exactly are the NFL scouts watching for?
The stats and event performances are important. Since the game of football is a highly physical, contact, body-based activity, the body is of supreme importance but my belief is that there is something more that is being evaluated. Through watching tapes of previous games, a scout can see how a players plays and even reacts to situations on the field. The Combine, however, is more a test of character and professionalism.
One belief I have that has become progressively stronger regarding the NFL (and every sports league) is that they are first and foremost a business. The coaches and players are their employees and thus there are attributes of professionalism and leadership that are required. This is what coaches and scouts are looking for in their "new employees" during the Combine. The events are great and flashy (and necessary) but the way a player carries himself during the events will tell about how he will work for the "company". What is his determination and drive like? Does he improve? Is he motivated and does he motivate others? Does he stress easily?
Aside from the physical events there is the interview. This is my favorite portion because this is sheer entertainment. Media members (real and fake) pose questions to the players often trying to clarify things that have been heard that may be red flags but also to catch them off guard. Imagine sitting in an interview and being asked (ESPN's Scott Van Pelt's favorite question) "Do you think your mom is hot?" How do you answer that? Does it make you uncomfortable? Upset? Flustered? Or do you calmly state, "My mother is a beautiful woman inside and out. Since press and news conferences are ever present in the NFL, the way a player presents himself in words, essentially his professionalism, will play a huge role into their draft-ability.
This beauty-pageant job-interview is arguably the single most important day for most of these players with the outcome unknown until April 28 when Commissioner Roger Goodell steps to the mic and says, "With the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans select..." and the teams begin to make dreams come true.
The best way to describe this process to the curious reader who is still learning about the sport is that the NFL Combine is the male equivalent to a beauty pageant. Men who are selected by a committee come together and get evaluated on their bodies and their fitness and yes, there is even an interview portion. All of this leading to the announcement of the winner: the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. For many though, just being drafted can be considered a win (I say overcome with emotion as I wipe a tear delicately from my eye.)
The broad jump. The vertical jump. The bench press. The 3-cone drill. The shuttle run. And the most exciting event, the 40-yard dash. These are the events that will determine a players draft stock and inevitably, their future as a football player.
Though I compare the Combine to a beauty pageant, I must warn you that there isn't really anything beautiful about watching offensive linemen run a 40-yard dash. But what exactly are the NFL scouts watching for?
The stats and event performances are important. Since the game of football is a highly physical, contact, body-based activity, the body is of supreme importance but my belief is that there is something more that is being evaluated. Through watching tapes of previous games, a scout can see how a players plays and even reacts to situations on the field. The Combine, however, is more a test of character and professionalism.
One belief I have that has become progressively stronger regarding the NFL (and every sports league) is that they are first and foremost a business. The coaches and players are their employees and thus there are attributes of professionalism and leadership that are required. This is what coaches and scouts are looking for in their "new employees" during the Combine. The events are great and flashy (and necessary) but the way a player carries himself during the events will tell about how he will work for the "company". What is his determination and drive like? Does he improve? Is he motivated and does he motivate others? Does he stress easily?
Aside from the physical events there is the interview. This is my favorite portion because this is sheer entertainment. Media members (real and fake) pose questions to the players often trying to clarify things that have been heard that may be red flags but also to catch them off guard. Imagine sitting in an interview and being asked (ESPN's Scott Van Pelt's favorite question) "Do you think your mom is hot?" How do you answer that? Does it make you uncomfortable? Upset? Flustered? Or do you calmly state, "My mother is a beautiful woman inside and out. Since press and news conferences are ever present in the NFL, the way a player presents himself in words, essentially his professionalism, will play a huge role into their draft-ability.
This beauty-pageant job-interview is arguably the single most important day for most of these players with the outcome unknown until April 28 when Commissioner Roger Goodell steps to the mic and says, "With the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans select..." and the teams begin to make dreams come true.
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